Daily Republican., 1887-07-18
STRANGE TALE.

ds srk and sullen, moved In Its rocky bed
IKE some gigantic serpent half over
come BY the letharRy Of sleep.
Here and there the moonbeams fell
upon the surface of the water, great
tpots Of silvery whiteness amidst the
dark shadows cast by the heavy foliage
OF the cedar ehrubbery, which grew be =
tween the almost perpendicular rocks
Of the high banks.
Fifty feet above the surface Of the
water they reared themselves, and nj.
lone point they jutted forward as II to
salute each other, while the river be-
meath them deepen ed and narrowed
At this point bridge bad once been
thrown across-a bridge which had b,-
come complete ruin, one timber alone
remaining 70 mark the spot, one long
and narrow beam-it could not have
been more than six inches in width
still maintained lis place, and In mute
language informed the stranger that
ooce there had been connection between
Rocky Hill and the mountains on the
other side.
Upon the surface Of the river there
was small row boat, containing a slen-
der, crouchirg form wrapped in 3 dark
cloak.
From the top of the bank upon either
side this row boat would have been ir-
visible, but it was there, making its
way up and down past the rocky but.
treBses which upheld the beam, always
avoiding the moonlit spots upon the
river.
The sounds OF csrousal were usurp!ng
the place OF the quiet Of the night; the
n m la nd hA In 4 tor
breaking In upon the sentimental notes
Of Home. Sweet Home," sung, you
would have averred, by some lonely
youth who was far from the scenes
OF his boy hood, came plainly to the
ears OF this silent watcher upon tt g
river. who, It seemed, could not tear
herself away from the sounds which
came from the saloon upon the rivers
bank.
Once only did the oonbeams fall
upon her fair, upturned face.
II was the face OF woman who
should never have bsen in that wild
lonely apot, listening for the sound OF
a voice that had grown to address her
with refined words which were the
cruelest OF the cruel waiting there upon
thst lonely river, for-she knew no,
what.
Muriel Warner was the daughter OF
wealthy parents. She had married,
when very young, o young man whom
she had worshipped as the embodiment,
Of manly beauty.
Friends and relatives had crowd ed
about her with envious oonRrat u laticns,
and for time her life was perfect hap
piness.
But a change had come. Fred War
ner vas not wha: he had seemed. Only
few short weeks Of bappin ess, and the
handsome husband plunged into the
widest dissipation.
Friends remained to her as long as
the money remained, and then they be-
gan TO hint that perhaps Nuritl was moi
altos ether blHmeless.
Ihls WAS mething which the spiri
ted wife could not stand. 6he broke
with relatives and friends, and cluuO
10 the dissipated man who was her hus
band.
From one city 10 another he had drag
ged her with him, aud now he had de
! serted her, and she had folio wed him
His was the cultured voice which
warbled OF Home, Sweet Home,
while his wife was u psnniless, half
c,azed creature out upon the river.
And she was penniless for, regardless,
of food or shelter, she had paid out hel
last coin for the use Of the boat which
brought her, unseen, yet nearer to him
A quick sharp retort broke In upoI
the mellow voice of the singer.
1t was repeated again and again.
1t was the report OF D revolver
Muriel could hear the excited shouts
the heavy .rampling Of feet, the bang
ing of door, and then the weird cry
"Murdeip
Halt psrNyzed tbs frightened woman
rested upon her oars just under til,
beam which had once belonged to thI
old bridge.
The eound Of heavy feet, rapidly ap
preaching, came from the bank close q
hand, and then dark form rushed ouI
between her and the mooriit sky above
her.
1t was a mans figure, aud he WAS at
tempting to cross the river upon th'
narrow beam.
Excited shouts and the tramp OF bur
ried feet followed him to the river
brink
"stop!" shouted o voice. "I arres
5 on for murder"
No reply came from the escaping fg
ure, which sped nimbly along it's mar
row way.
A sharp chorus of revolvers folio wed
ahot after shot was fired, and then tn
dark Eeure wavered, the hands graspee
wildly III the air, and then there was u
fall.
The water deluged Muriel with &
ehower OF drop, as the body entered tn,
water. Shouts and the exultant retreat
ing voices held her attention un til she
felt something creeping into the boa
bshind her.
She turned and uttered faint shrek
A man, and more than likely the mur
dsler, had taken possession OF the ,ittl,
craft
Give me the oars" sad a sierr
musical voice.
"You are not wounded, then?" sht
said, shrinking away from the dripping
figure.
81 am not wounded" returned th,
voice, and tatn sill ntly the boat wa:
rowed into the deepest shadows aud az
the stream.
Mtm ment after moment crept by. The
moon went down, d irkpess tell eE
ure!y over the sluggish waves of III.
RIVER, and yet the strange pair wert
siltnt.
fphu bt,h hapLa .Etaon~onroI th.